The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, issued notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) seeking its official stand on a public interest litigation (PIL) that requests permission for Class XII students to use basic, non-programmable calculators in board examinations, with a primary focus on Accountancy. The notice is returnable within six weeks, and the matter has been listed for further hearing on 27 January 2027.

Key Developments in Court

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma issued the notice after CBSE sought additional time to obtain internal instructions on the issue. Alongside CBSE, the Bench also sought responses from the Union Ministry of Education, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and PARAKH (National Assessment Centre).

The PIL was filed through advocate Nitin Mangla, who argued before the Bench that CBSE had not taken any definitive position on the proposal despite its own expert committee having already recommended the use of calculators.

What the Petition Argues

The petition contends that CBSE's Curriculum Committee, at its 70th meeting held on 25-26 November 2024, approved a proposal to permit basic, non-programmable calculators in the Class XII Accountancy examination. The committee recorded that the existing restriction imposed an unnecessary 'cognitive load' on students. The recommendation was subsequently placed before CBSE's Governing Body at its 140th meeting on 26 December 2024. However, the proposal has neither been notified nor implemented, and no reason for the delay has been communicated, the plea stated.

The petitioners further argue that allowing calculators would align with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which advocates a shift away from rote memorisation towards competency-based learning and assessment. The plea also seeks an extension of the existing calculator facility — currently available to students with Dyscalculia under a CBSE circular issued in January 2020 — to other categories of students with disabilities. The continued restriction, petitioners contend, is arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution.

CBSE's Position in Court

Counsel for CBSE told the Acting Chief Justice-led Bench that the Board administers 204 subjects, and calculations feature in several of them beyond just Accountancy. Permitting calculators, the counsel submitted, would require fresh recommendations from an expert committee covering all relevant subjects, as well as a detailed review of the logistical aspects of conducting examinations with such devices.

Notably, CBSE's counsel drew a distinction between the two internal bodies involved: the recommendation cited by the petitioners originated from the curriculum committee, whereas decisions on examination rules formally vest in the examination committee. This institutional separation, the counsel argued, requires a fresh cycle of approvals before any change can be implemented.

Broader Context and What It Means for Students

This case touches a longstanding debate in Indian secondary education about whether calculator use in examinations tests authentic understanding or merely reduces computational burden. Globally, many education systems — including those in the United Kingdom and several OECD nations — permit non-programmable calculators in equivalent secondary-level assessments. India's NEP 2020 has repeatedly signalled a move toward higher-order thinking, making CBSE's silence on an already-approved internal recommendation increasingly difficult to defend, critics argue.

If the court ultimately directs CBSE to implement the recommendation, it could affect lakhs of Class XII students sitting Accountancy and potentially Mathematics examinations across India. With the next board examination cycle approaching, the 27 January 2027 hearing date will be closely watched by students, educators, and examination reform advocates alike.